Radhika Apte says she was treated ‘Horribly’ on debut film Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!, claims producers didn’t pay her

Radhika Apte says she was treated Horribly

As she marks nearly 20 years in cinema, actor Radhika Apte reflected on the challenging start to her career, revealing that her experience on her debut film, Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! (2005) was deeply unpleasant. In a recent interview with the Indian Express, Apte said the producers of the fantasy comedy treated her “horribly.”

Radhika Apte, who had a supporting role in the film starring Shahid Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Amrita Rao, and Arshad Warsi, said that when she and her mother requested a written contract, the producers dismissively told them that established actors like Urmila Matondkar didn’t sign one a comment she found unprofessional and dismissive. She described the overall experience as “awful,” saying that even though Vaah! technically marked her film debut, she doesn’t include it among her meaningful body of work.

She said: "The awful producers didn't put me up and didn't pay me. When my mother and I asked them to sign a contract, they said, 'Arey, even Urmila Matondkar didn't sign a contract.' I don't know if she signed or not, but they treated us horribly."

The budding actor got the role after being spotted by director Mahesh Manjrekar during a theatre performance, but she soon stepped away from films to finish her education after her difficult debut. Radhika Apte later returned to cinema with roles that helped build her strong reputation as a versatile performer. She talked about Mahesh Manjrekar and said, "Mahesh Manjrekar was a great guy. That's why I like to forget my film - because the production was awful! And I say it out loud."

She further said, "I was doing a play called Brain Surgeon. It was a good play. We won an award in a state competition. Mahesh Manjrekar was one of the judges. He called me after the play and said, 'I want to cast you.'"

"Then I didn't do a film for a long time. I finished college, and then I went back to films after a long time. So, I don't really count that as one of the films I did. But yeah, it's been two decades," concluded the actress.

Also Read: Radhika Apte calls out a Bollywood filmmaker for being insensitive during her pregnancy: ‘I wasn’t even allowed to see a doctor’

Radhika Apte is seen in Saali Mohabbat, a drama-thriller set against the backdrop of a quaint small town.